The Provincial Capital Commission will be conducting a prescribed burn within Wascana Centre on north Goose Island and Pelican Island this fall.
What is a prescribed burn?
A prescribed burn is a controlled and planned use of fire to a certain area of land. Fire is a natural process that plays a key role in the evolution of grassland and forest ecosystems in Saskatchewan. Fire can be used to renew vegetation and help maintain healthy ecosystems.
After a fire, the vegetation of a burn area quickly regenerates; fire does not harm ecosystems but contributes to their long-term health and function.
Prescribed fires are planned for the fall or spring so they can be conducted at a lower intensity in mild temperatures. Prescribed burns produce less smoke than unplanned wildfires that generally occur under warmer and drier conditions.
What is the difference between a prescribed burn and a wildfire?
Wildfires are unpredictable. With a prescribed burn, extensive planning allows us to plan for the exact weather requirements we need for a safe and effective fire. Equipment and personnel remain on site to make sure the burn goes as planned and detailed emergency protocol is in place for if they don’t. All these specific conditions contribute to what is known as the Prescribed Fire Prescription. If even one factor is not within the prescription requirements, the fire is never started.
A Prescribed Fire Prescription takes into consideration the wind speed, wind direction, temperature, relative humidity, recent precipitation, moisture content of available dead vegetation, the time of year and day and more.
Information from Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange.
How will a prescribed burn help Wascana Centre?
The prescribed burn scheduled for Wascana Centre will help control invasive exotic plant species such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome grass, reduce hazardous fuel loads and stimulate aspen and native shrub regeneration. Prescribed burns also help to remediate the excessive build-up of dead plant litter which, if left, can lead to a higher risk of uncontrolled wildfires threatening the safety of people and valuable property adjacent to Wascana Centre.
Exotic, invasive species pose one of the greatest threats to the long-term sustainability and health of natural ecosystems. The Provincial Capital Commission manages exotic invasive plant species using an integrated weed management approach which combines biological, mechanical, cultural, and chemical control methods.
In addition, prescribed burns may play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and the transmission of disease pathogens they carry.
Overall, the Provincial Capital Commission understands that a controlled burn can stimulate the renewal of favourable plant community traits and enhance species diversity.
Photo: The shore of Pelican Island has purple Loosestrife and Absinth (both invasive).
Photo: The shore of Pelican Island has purple Loosestrife and Absinth (both invasive).
Have any other locations used prescribed fires before?
Over the last 20 years prescribed burns have been successfully used in many provincial parks including Moose Mountain, Fort Carlton, Douglas, Saskatchewan Landing, Good Spirit Lake and Greenwater Lake Provincial Parks, among others.
Recently, members of the Provincial Capital Commission took part in a prescribed burn conducted at the Condie Nature Refuge on May 2, 2025, to reduce fuel load in the area to help prevent wildfires.
Photo: Prescribed burn conducted at the Condie Nature Refuge on May 2, 2025, to reduce fuel load in the area to help prevent wildfires.
When is the prescribed burn happening in Wascana Centre?
The burn window will take place between September 29 and October 31, 2025, weather permitting. There will be notice posted to Wascana.ca when the burn date is finalized.
Where in Wascana Centre is the prescribed burn occurring?
The prescribed burn will take place on Pelican Island and north Goose Island.
